Please Help!

[hensleyimmanuel]

Me and my wife are both new to geocaching and we tried 6 different spots today and found nothing . how do you find these things i have looked for everything from bottles to buckets to fake rocks but nothings is there something special i need to do because i really want to do this but i am getting descouraged by the repeated failures. any body have any advice.

[jholly]

First pick caches that are small or regular. Leave the micros for later. Second pick caches with a difficulty of 1 or at most 2, leave the 3's and 4's for later. When your GPS says 0 feet, your probably not on top of the cache, it probably is 10-20 feet away. Look for something a bit out of the ordinary.

[+KarateNeko2]

Well, what are the difficulty ratings and how long did you look for each one? Sometimes caches are just really hard. Are they wonder caches? those dont have the acctual coords, you have to solve a riddle or puzzle to get the correct coords. If I could see the geocache links I could answer you better. What are the cache codes?

[+Fianccetto]

Looking on the plus side, getting to 6 different cache sites in one day is really good going, at least you have no problems finding the right areas - I still find that the hardest part. I find it hard to discover caches too, have had a lot of DNFs (some I haven't logged because I know it must be right there scurrying around right behind be in the leaves). I go back with the rest of the team and THERE IT IS - the others get it straight away!

 

It took 4 of us a month of looking before we found one, and a year before I was confident that I can find them on my own. We've only found 50 caches, so still relatively new and know that DNF feeling all too well!

 

If I'm going out on my own I check the cache page carefully and I pick ones where I know what container I am looking for - its probably going to be lock & lock tupperware, usually in a camo bag. I pick places I want to check out anyway, and if I don't find the cache at least I've had a good walk and enjoyed some fine views, maybe discovered another family watering hole to come back to another day.

 

Next I choose ones that have been found in the last couple of weeks without any problems. Look through all the comments people leave for clues - sometimes there is a better set of coordinates, hint, description of the best route, and the photos can help too. Ones in woods will be harder, as the GPS can be unreliable under tree cover. One fallen tree looks much the same as another and it is more fun looking for this type in a group.

 

Most importantly, think about how and where you would hide something. Is there a heap of leaves, a UPS ((un)usual Pile of Sticks) or UPR ((un)usual pile of rocks) possibly with a bit of camo bag or corner of an ammo can peeking out somewhere? What would be the natural material used to cover a cache in your area? Leaves, twigs, sand, ivy, rocks? Where have these been disturbed, moved from one area to another? Is the ground worn leading to a fallen tree or pile of rocks, or other signs of cachers homing in on one place? Check the hider's hint and be prepared to get your hands dirty.

 

Come back and tell us when you've found some!

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Your question is almost too general, as we don't know what types of caches you tried for.

 

What jholly said is correct. Pay attention to all the info on the cache page. Avoid micros, puzzles and multi-caches for the time being. Likewise, hunt only the ones with 2 star or less difficulty rating.

 

Read the previous logs, they can help you decide whether the cache is easy or not, or perhaps it is even gone!

 

I am guessing that you are using a GPSr, you don't say (some don't use them, most do). The type of GPSr you use can make a big difference, especially to a beginner. A model designed for automotive road navigation is not a good unit to start geocaching with, but it can be done, others have done it. Again, we don't know what you are attempting to use.

 

Whatever GPSr you are using, it will not put you atop the cache, if that is what you are expecting. Due to error factors, it is only going to put you in the vicinity of the cache. In that the cache was hidden using a GPSr, you must also remember that the hider had a like error factor. That being said, when you get "real" close, say 20 - 30 ft., you now must hunt for it. The GPSr will not help you any further -- actually it can mess you up and lead you astray when you get too close.

 

The types of container vary as widely as the human mind can conceive of them, as well as the camouflage or techniques used to hide it. That is the game.

 

Hope this helps at least a little bit. If you want more help, I would suggest a bit less "generalized" questions. Multiple questions are fine.

[+StarBrand]

Don't give up!! Some cacher's are just really good at hiding. It takes some time to develop a sort of 'geosense' to know where and what to look for.

 

Here are some general hints:

 

Look for caches with a difficulty of 2 or less for your fist few caches. Stick with regular sized caches for your first few. Micros can be quite hard to find sometimes. Stick to areas you are familiar with. Look for anything out of place or unusual. Look for unusual piles of sticks, grass, leaves, rocks, sand, etc. Feel where you cannot look. Think vertical, not all caches are on the ground. Look up or at eye level. Look for traces of previous searches to zero in on the spot. Think like the hider - where would you put a container in this location? Look for things too new, too old, too perfect, not like the others, too many, too few. Change your perspective - a shift in lighting can sometimes reveal a cache. Keep in mind that many micros are magnetic or attached to something (via string, wire etc). Slowly expand your search area to about 40 feet from where your GPS says ground zero is as our handheld units just aren't a lot more accurate than that. Bring garden gloves and a flashlight - they help! Be prepared to not find the cache more often then you think.

 

Most of all - have fun!!

[+Bergie Bunch]

PERSISTENCE~with 1600 under our belt, we still get stumped by a 1/1 now and then. Keep searching!

[+kunarion]

i am getting descouraged by the repeated failures. any body have any advice.

The above replies are good advice. If you can’t find a cache, type some kind of log (a DNF or a Note, whatever) on the cache page, and mention that you couldn’t find it. That’s valuable info on the chance that the container’s gone. And some Cache Owners will offer a hint, if they know you’re new, and that you need a nudge. There are lots of caches I can't find. Don't get discouraged, just try some more, and then come back to the first ones later.

 

Print a couple of cache descriptions that look promising, and take them with you. The recent logs should mention finding the cache. Have a good idea exactly where you’ll look when you arrive (“Between the two large rocks”, etc.), and the kind of container. Once you’ve found a few different styles, you can go for tougher ones. Good luck!